This dessert looks like another invention of a cook in one of Ireland's southern counties who found him- or herself with a few leftover cooked potatoes on a day when the farmyard chicken flock was laying well. Half a dozen extra eggs on the counter, maybe a forgotten half-glass of whiskey from yesterday evening's hospitality... then a moment of inspiration, and a dessert is born.

The Carrigaline whiskey pie starts out its life as a dessert soufflé in the usual way -- beaten eggs, whipped egg whites, sugar to sweeten it all -- but there goes its own way, adding mashed potatoes and a little pounded almond to bind the mixture. Orange juice or extract is added for an extra spike of flavor and aroma, and then the whiskey. After baking the soufflé falls, but in this case it's meant to, and even when you make it in a springform pan, it winds up looking like a pie. The final result is a solid, fragrant, and surprisingly rich dessert that speaks of the Irish countryside and a rural lifestyle that's still (just barely) with us.

The name of the recipe probably has to do with Carrigaline's closeness to the great whiskey distilleries of Cork. In particular, Carrigaline is only thirty kilometers or so from Midleton, now famous all over the world for the premium whiskeys of the same name.

Click on "read more" for the recipe and method.    

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb boiled potatoes (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 lb butter, melted
• 3/4 lb sugar
• 3 pounded almonds
• 1 tablespoon orange extract or two tablespoons fresh bitter Seville orange juice
• 6 eggs, separated
• 4 fluid ounces Irish whiskey

Butter and flour a 21-cm springform pan. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper / baking parchment to fit the bottom of the pan, butter it well, and put it in the pan. Alternately, if you don't have a springform pan, or just prefer to do it this way, prepare two 9-inch pie pans with a bottom crust only.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Mash the potatoes until smooth and lump-free. Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until lemon-colored. Then beat in the sugar, adding it a little at a time until the mixture becomes fluffy.

Now beat in the potatoes. Once they're completely combined with the egg and sugar mixture, add the melted butter, pounded almonds, orange extract or orange juice, and finally the whiskey. Mix well: then pour into a large bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, Carefully fold them into the egg mixture in the large bowl until they're completely incorporated. Make sure your oven is up to heat when you start this procedure.

When the egg whites are completely folded into the yolk mixture, pour immediately into the springform pan (or pie crusts) and put the pie(s) carefully into the oven. Close the oven door with as little vibration as possible, as any soufflé is vulnerable at this point.

Bake at 375° F for 40-45 minutes. Remove carefully from the oven and set aside to cool. The soufflés / pies will immediately fall at this point. This is normal, so don't panic!

The pie can be eaten while warm if you like, though (if you've made it in a springform pan, without crusts) it's somewhat fragile at this point and will tend to fall apart. You may prefer to let it cool to at least room temperature, or (better still) chill in the refrigerator overnight, after which it will slice a lot more easily.

Serve with unsweetened whipped cream or double cream, and perhaps with a grind of nutmeg on top. Serves approximately six.